A group of students abducted in May by Muslim militants in Nigeria's southwestern Oyo state have been rescued, the government announced Friday.
Government spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the rescue operation but did not specify the total number of students recovered. At the time of the abductions on May 15, authorities reported that more than 40 people were taken from two secondary schools.
As part of the rescue efforts, eight militants were arrested, Onanuga stated. The abductions in the southern state of Oyo were seen as an escalation of Nigeria's security challenges, as most previous kidnappings of this nature had occurred in the country's northern regions.